Faith the Vampire Slayer Season 1
by frosty600
Summary: <html><head></head>Spin Off from Dark Release Series Newly set on her path of redemption Faith battles her own demons as well as those of the forces of darkness. She is joined in her fight by unexpected allies. Her fight tests her resolve and those of her old and new friends as she attempts to battle the darkness within her and save the world...</html>


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or any of the characters mentioned in the cannon.

**A/N:** Here is the first chapter to the promised Spin Off to Dark Release. This chapter took a lot of effort and I hope that it is as good as I think it is as I was really trying to create a great first chapter/episode for you all. Anyway enjoy the first episode/chapter of Faith the Vampire Slayer and as always let me know what you think.

**CHAPTER 1**

**Crossroads **

Faith sat propped up against the far wall of the train cabin she had stowed away in. Her body rocked slightly to the swaying of the train as it raced along the track.

Light from the setting sun flashed through a crack in the cabin. The ray of light hitting her closed eyes, but it wasn't the pesky splash of sun that was causing her distressed restless sleep.

Dreams plagued her – nightmares of her sins haunting her.

Her head tossed as shooting Angelus in the back with a poisoned arrow morphed into punching Joyce and tying her up in the older woman's bedroom.

The scene shifted again and she was fighting Buffy, tumbling down the stairs in the Summers family home – destroying furniture as they moved through the lower level of the house – right up until she grabbed the last gift The Mayor had given her from beyond the grave and clasped Buffy's hand in her own as the fight moved to continue.

The light of power shot up through her arm – the strange sensation of being sucked from her own body and being placed into the blonds consuming her.

Suddenly she was in the cemetery again and she was running for her life, the knowledge that she was being closed in on spurring her tired and battered body on.

She looked behind her to check where her pursuer was only to slam into something solid and fall back on her ass in the grass.

She looked up and saw Buffy standing in front of her, bloodied knife in hand, "Please I'm sorry,"

Buffy cocked her head slightly as she stared down at Faith, her eyes cold, "Not sorry enough,"

Faith cried out in pain as Buffy plunged the knife down…

Faith came awake with a gasp. Her hands clutched over her scar as if clutching at a fresh wound. Her brown eyes wide and full of terror as she frantically searched for her attacker. She let out a breath her eyes closing for an extended moment as she slowly realized that she wasn't in a cemetery and Buffy wasn't standing over her with a knife in hand intent on killing her for her crimes.

She let out a slow breath as she went over her last moments in Sunnydale before having to flee in the face of the cops breeching the church to reassure herself that she'd been forgiven even been asked to stay and help by the blond she'd wronged so terribly twice over.

She slid a hand under her shirt and traced the small white scar that marred her skin, physically assuring herself that she hadn't been wounded again – the dream had felt so real – but then all her dreams felt real.

And all of them where frightening.

"It was just a dream," she murmured, as she smoothed her fingers over the scar for a final time, before sliding her hand from underneath her shirt.

She reached up and fisted her hands in her hair, pulling the long brown strands away from her slightly sweaty face and neck.

Her body trembling slightly as it attempted to deal with threads of the dream that still had its vicious hooks in her.

***O*O*O***

Down a dark street a group of young adults that were roaming the streets, the hoods of their jackets pulled up to obscure their faces came to a stop by a sports store.

An African American man, the leader of the small group that was out that night pulled out a decent sized rock that he had hidden in the large pocket that went right across the front of his jacket and approached the store with confident swift steps.

He used the rock and his momentum to break the window of the store door. He made it big enough to walk through with a few more swift efficient hits of the rock, before stepping inside. His friends hurrying in after him each of them knowing that they needed to hurry.

They ransacked the store taking small things that they liked or wanted to keep and other things… expensive things they swiped to sell.

All the time making sure to hide their faces from the cameras in the store.

Within moments they were finished in the store and they were racing out again as police sirens sounded.

"Spilt up," the African American man ordered, "Meet up back at the spot,"

The others said nothing as they moved to obey, each of them knowing the drill off by heart after years of working and living off the streets. That proved more of a home then the four walls of the home they'd been raised in.

***O*O*O***

The train's horn sounded and Faith looked up from the patch of floor she'd been inspecting in a bored haze.

She clambered to her feet and walked over to the door of the cabin and cautiously opened it a jar. She didn't want to fall out… especially if it wasn't her stop. She looked out over the town that was bright with street lights and the lights of all the people living in the houses and she didn't need the sign that was picketed on the outskirts of the town to know where she was.

She yanked the door open wider and jumped as she'd done the last few times she'd had to disembark from a train.

She landed painfully and rolled across the dirty ground away from the speeding train. When she came to a stop, she slowly got to her feet and brushed off her clothes and stretched out the ache in her limbs from the less then gently landing.

Faith turned in the direction of the town and began trudging towards it, her shoulders slightly slumped.

She turned her gaze up to the sign as she neared it and read the familiar words. 'Welcome to Boston'.

She lowered her gaze from the sign and trudged onward towards the city lights of her home town.

***O*O*O***

Faith walked the familiar streets of the town she'd spent most of her life roaming. She took a deep breath filling her lungs with Boston air, before letting it out slowly. It felt like a lifetime since she strolled down these streets with nothing to worry about except where her next meal was coming from.

She took in the familiar shops that still lined the streets and noted that some new ones had taken over the old and some of the old ones had expanded their business. It was bittersweet to her. To be back in this town where so much had happened.

Her life had become something in this town that had once upon a time been her hell. A hell she'd wanted to escape and never thought that she would.

The town her Watcher had been brutally murdered whilst trying to protect her.

_Never thought I'd come back once I got out._

Faith rounded a corner and soon found herself in a residential district. Her steps slowed to a crawl as she walked by house after house in her old neighbourhood.

She couldn't really say what it was that was dragging her onwards, it wasn't like she had wanted to come by this way… at least she didn't think she did.

Maybe it was a morbid curiosity to see if anything had changed since she'd gone away. She'd changed… so perhaps it was possible…

Faith came to a stop at the pathetic little fence that surrounded the Lehane property and took in the sight before her.

She didn't even need to step any closer to know that nothing had changed inside that house. The lawns were still overgrown and weeds stood taller than the flowers in the pathetic garden that lined the fence, chocking the once vibrant flowers of life.

It was dark inside and Faith was almost certain it was because her mother had forgotten to pay the power bill once again.

A sick bitter feeling twisted in Faith's stomach as she regarded the house with the smallest of frowns. For the briefest of moments she considered going into the house and seeing her mother for the first time in over a year… but she couldn't do it.

She couldn't walk in and see her mother sitting on the couch beer clutched firmly in hand, completely unconcerned with the lack of electricity as long as she had her beer exactly as she had left her the night she had packed up a few of her things to live in the more welcoming environment of her Watcher's home.

She couldn't stand to hear her yell the moment she walked in the door 'fetch me another beer – and be quick about it!'

Faith scrubbed a hand through her hair, feeling agitated just thinking about it. She gave the house a last look, before she resolutely turned and walked away. The woman that lived inside that house, didn't deserve to know that she was still alive… that she was back in town.

The woman barely had the right to call herself her mother!

Faith's agitated steps swiftly carried her away from the house, but steps, no matter how swift couldn't carry her away from the memories.

The memories of that house of the family that should have cared but didn't. As if called up by the memories that seeing the house had called up the strong smell of stale alcohol filled her nose, making her stomach churn a little queasily.

She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to centre herself and get the smell out of her nose, only to become aware of a tinge that was creeping along her spine. A feeling she hadn't noticed due to her trip down memory lane.

"Look what we have here. A badass wannabe," a taunting female voice said.

Faith opened her eyes and took in the three beefy chicks, dressed in tattered leather, bandanas tied around their heads.

"Luckily for us you're a stupid badass wannabe," another of the female.

Faith cocked her head slightly and a raised a brow at them, "Really, because I thought I was the lucky one,"

The biker females exchanged confused looks before they smirked and chuckled, "How do you suppose that?" another asked their faces shifting into the hard ridges of the demon, hoping to excite fear in the cocky brunette.

Faith smirked, "Because I was just thinking that I could use a good slay… improve my day," Faith gave the beefy biker chicks a sceptical once over, "Well, I guess you guys will just have to do. You guys will be a nice warm up act,"

The vampires exchanged confused looks, "Huh," the chick Faith assumed was the leader said as she turned her amber gaze back to her.

Faith rolled her eyes, "Well, no one said that biker chicks where the smartest vamps on the block," she taunted before throwing the first punch, her knuckles connecting with a crunch as the vampires nose broke beneath her fist.

The two other vampiress' backed up a little confusion still etched on their faces as they regarded the pretty brunette they thought to make a quick meal of.

"Oh come on," Faith exclaimed as she took in the confusion, "It's not hard. I'll give you a hint," she declared before she hit another one and pulled her stake.

"Slayer," the third one that had been silent so far growled.

"Ooh, real brains of the outfit, you are?" Faith quipped sarcastically, before blocking a blow from the leader she'd socked in the nose.

She swivelled and kicked another of the vampiress' in the shin, before staking the third when she made the wrong move and got to close in a move to flee.

Faith pulled her stake free, her hair flying out about her as she blocked a kick and threw one of her own, winding the leader before thrusting the stake into her heart.

She yanked the stake free of the vampiress' chest and spun to face the last one standing, her arm moving on instinct to plunge the sharply pointed piece of wood into her chest.

"Oh, that sucks," the vampiress muttered as Faith pulled the stake out.

"Yeah you're telling me," Faith muttered as the vampiress crumpled into dust at her feet, "You guys were hardly a challenge… didn't even work up a sweat," she murmured with disappointment, before she continued on her way down the street.

The familiar adrenaline high from a slay heating her blood and before she even really knew that she was going to…

She'd turned her feet in the direction of one of her old haunts. A club that had never been to strict on who they allowed in, making it extremely easy for an underage kid to sneak in, find a beef stick to ride and alcohol to drink…

***O*O*O***

Faith gravitated to the thick bass driven beat of the club. The atmosphere was the same as she remembered and so was the cliental.

Underage boys and girls looking to get a taste of the wild side and those looking to score some loving.

The music was just as good though as was the dance floor… in fact, it felt like they'd enlarged the dance floor since she'd last been here.

She felt her foot crunch something, and didn't need to look down to know that she'd just stepped on a cockroach.

_Good to know their hygiene levels haven't changed. It's surprising that they haven't been shut down yet. _

Faith continued to move to the beat, completely unconcerned by the lack of hygiene in her favourite hometown club and loving the fact she could feel the eyes of every guy in the club as they watched her wanting her, and none of them could do a thing about it unless she decided to give them the time of day.

***O*O*O***

A young adult African American woman stood in the shadows watching the brunette that was dancing like she was in a world of her own.

A small frown darkening her brow as she stared at the woman that she hadn't seen in a long time. Torn between being happy at seeing her back on the scene and betrayed that she'd left in the first place.

She waited until she got another look at the woman's face before she uncrossed her arms and slowly moved through the shadows.

_Faith… why are you back in town?_

***O*O*O***

Faith frowned, losing some of her rhythm as she felt a different set of eyes on her… not male… eyes that were staring at her with an intensity that didn't have anything to do with sex.

She glanced around furtively trying to pinpoint where the gaze was coming from without being obvious about it.

Not seeing anyone that stood out from the ground, went back to dancing, not wanting to tip off whoever was watching that she was on to them.

***O*O*O***

The woman moved through the club and made her way to the back of the club where four couches were scattered around.

She walked up to an African American man she had known for as long as if not longer than the brunette on the dance floor.

She brushed a hand over his shoulder and he turned to look at her and smiled warmly before draping a friendly, big brotherly arm over her shoulder.

"What is it Lani?" he asked.

Lani shrugged a little uncomfortably and glance nervously around at their other friends not sure how they'd react. Hell she didn't even know how he would react, but she was a loyal friend and he deserved to know. What with his history with the beautiful brunette that was cutting up a fiery path on the dance floor.

"Faith is back,"

The man released her and turned towards the dance floor, stalking through the club in search of the woman that had turned her back on him – on them, on the family they had become… without so much as a word of goodbye.

He came to a sudden stop, his head shaking from left to right in a disbelief as he watched Faith dance much like she had in the old days.

"Unbelievable," he grumbled before he started forward again, shouldering an elbowing people carelessly out of his way as he went.

Faith heard the disgruntled and upset sounds of others and turned to face the direction of the disturbance and froze as she took in the unhappy faces of her old crew.

"Hey V…"

Moments later Faith stood near the back out of the way of the main crowds, her body language relaxed as she regarded her oldest bestie as he stood staring at her with a serious frown. His arms crossed as he attempted to intimidate her, "I see that you still haven't really learnt to smile since I've been away," Faith commented as she steadily met his gaze knowing his game after years of playing with him.

Vance glared at her a little harder, "It's hard to find something to smile about when an uppity bitch comes back to town like she's didn't punk out and leave her family high and dry,"

Faith raised a brow at her old friend, "I did try to talk to you – you didn't want to hear it," she said calmly, her body language getting a little defensive.

She'd tried to keep in contact with her friends, her family… but Diana… her Watcher… the first adult that had every truly taken an interest in her… cared about her… given her something to strive for… had been so charming and charismatic…

Made the mission she'd been given feel like the best thing in the world to happen to her, and she been torn between her friends, her adoptive family and the feeling of being important or having something that only she could do…

Only for everything to go horribly wrong and then, her Watcher on practically her last breath had told her that she wasn't the only one that another Slayer the one to be Called before her was still alive and in Sunnydale… she'd be safer there… with people she could trust.

She'd wanted to go to her friends, but things hadn't been gelling with them since her Calling, V… Vance hadn't liked that she'd been spending less time with them… that her priorities had changed… so instead she'd had to flee… flee to strangers… and she'd screwed that up to…

Faith blinked and pulled herself out of her wandering thoughts not wanting to travel down that path… all the things she'd screwed up in her quest to feel important… for self-worth through the eyes of others.

"Look, what do you want V? If it's just to give me a hard time about something that happened over a year ago – then as much as I'm glad to see you again V I'm gone," Faith said and moved to walk off.

Lani tapped Vance's side with the back of her hand and gave him a look.

Vance rolled his eyes, "Wait," he called making Faith pause and turn back to face him, "You're right. We're talking about ancient history… and no matter what family is still family right. And seeing as you're here you may as well join us… for old time's sake,"

Faith smiled slightly and nodded, "Sure," she agreed. She'd missed each and every one of these guys… missed the old shenanigans… the companionship and bond of people that grew up together… shared everything…

Faith wrapped her arms around Lani as the slightly shorter woman flung herself at her.

"I'm so glad your back F," she said feelingly, "It hasn't been the same out here since you left,"

"I'm missed you to L," Faith murmured, her gaze drifting to Vance as he stood watching them. Her gaze drinking in the features of the man that she had once known as intimately as a woman could know a man.

And felt an old spark flare through her as their eyes met again and the hostility wasn't as strong anymore… it was begrudgingly accepting if not wary as all kids that grew up like they did were… it hurt her to know that he was looking at her like that…

She looked away and returned the hug for a moment longer before she pulled back, "So, what we drinking?"

***O*O*O***

"You always have the best stories," Lani said brightly, her voice slightly slurred as she walked out of the club beside Faith as they made their way out onto the street, "How is it that you always have the best stories?"

"Luck," Faith replied with a shrug.

_Can't even imagine how you'd react if I gave you the real versions of what I've been doing since I've been away._

"Luck huh, perhaps I need to get me some of that luck of yours," Lani mused as they crested a corner.

Vance who'd been listening into the conversation from a little ahead of the group gritted his teeth together. Still bitter over Faith's defection from their family.

He dark gaze lighted on an elderly man whose hair was mostly white and was wearing a battered moleskin jacket.

The elderly man focused his one good eye on the trolley he was pushing. His left eye a pale blue in blindness.

Vance smirked, seeing an opportunity to have some fun and test to see if his ex-lover was really back with them.

He looked back at his crew a cruel smile curled up his lips, "Let's have some fun," he said his gaze sliding over to Faith to see her reaction. Only to see that her expression only to find it as guarded as ever.

Faith frowned slightly as her old friends whooped and made sounds of excitement as they followed after Vance without question.

Lani the only one staying by Faith's side, reluctance written all over her.

"What fun?" Faith asked as she followed slowly Lani sticking by her but being silent as she simply watched what was happening.

Faith froze in her steps as she watched Lance lead the others in harassing the old man, shoving, pulling and pushing him, ignoring his sounds of fear and pleas for mercy.

This wasn't them… it wasn't what they did. It wasn't what they were all about. They'd always been about being there for each other… creating a place where they could feel safe when nowhere else was for them.

Faith watched horrified, her body trembling slightly as she couldn't help but see herself in their actions… see herself as she plunged her stake into the Deputy Mayors chest killing him… the blood on the pointed piece of wood, splattered on her hand… the blood rushing in her ears.

She was moving before she realized and the next thing she knew she was shoving Vance away and punching another that moved to get in close to the old man again, "Stop it!" she shouted, "Just stop!" she demanded, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Vance glared up at her from where he'd fallen to the ground at the shove he'd found surprisingly strong, strong enough to knock him right off his feet, "What am I doing?" he sneered as he got up, "What are you doing F? You come back into town pretend to make nice like you wanna come back and join the home team… make it like old times and here you are yet again turning on your friends, the closest thing you've got to a family,"

Faith frowned darkly at Vance, "This isn't about family, or about protecting each other. What in the hell has happened to you, V? You were never about mindless cruelty before," Faith saw movement from the corner of her eye, "Come any closer to that man or old friend or not I will put you in the hospital," Faith threatened and the movement stopped.

"Survival, that's what happened," Vance responded as he stepped towards Faith aggressively.

"Survival beating up an old man is survival now?" Faith shook her head as the old man picked himself up and hurried away with his trolley as fast as his aching body could take him.

Faith shook her head, "What's happened V? This isn't you… it wasn't us… it wasn't what we were about," she took a couple of steps back from her old friends, "I'm gone V. I'm not sticking around for this,"

Faith backed away a few more steps before she turned and moved away quickly, her shoulders slumped once again, her hands buried in her pants pockets.

"Yeah get out of here. You're not one of us anyway!" Vance shouted after her, before kicking at the pavement.

Lani went to step after Faith, her eyes conflicted, only for Vance to grab her arm forestalling, "Vance… it's,"

"She's nothing… that girls dead to us… as she should have been from the moment she started thinking herself to good for us… in fact," Vance looked after the homeless man that hadn't managed to get as far as he could have before the bruises, "I think it's about time we take that uppity bitch down a peg or two… show her that she's cut from the same cloth as the rest of us,"

"Oh V… we really shouldn't… he's just uh…" Lani began only to trail off at the look Vance gave her.

"Go back to the place L. We'll meet you there,"

"Vance…"

"Just go," Vance growled and Lani nodded and watched as her older brother and their friends… family moved after the old man…

_Vance what's happened to you… to us…_

A part of her wanted to blame Faith… wanted to lay it all at the brunette's feet. Things had started to go downhill from the moment Faith had started pulling away… that woman that had suddenly appeared dragging Faith further and further from them…

V had taken it hard… harder than the rest of them… he'd loved her… loved her more than was probably wise.

Faith had always been flighty and even after she'd taken Vance to bed… it had been obvious that she cared… but it hadn't been love… not for Faith… at least not the type of love that Vance wanted…

He'd been heading for heartbreak that moment he'd fallen for her… and he'd known it, but he'd been happy to take what Faith offered… the spunky brunette had never been cagey or secretive about who she was or what she was like.

Vance had just wanted her so much that he didn't care as long as she came back to him and then Faith had grown distance secretive… it hadn't been like her… and then she'd left… and Vance hadn't been the same since…

But this… this was a new level for him… it went beyond breaking and entering and stealing for money to survive… it was…

She didn't have a word for what it was.

Lani turned to do what her older brother wanted… she loved her brother… she couldn't disappoint him… couldn't let him down like everyone else had in his life…

***O*O*O***

Faith stalked through the streets of her home town, her expression distressed. She recoiled and disappeared into the shadows of another darkly lit street as a cop car rolled calmly down the street.

She ran her hands through her hair agitatedly as she tried to take calming breaths. The scene of her oldest friends tormenting that helpless old man, beating him… for fun…

It was so much like something she might have done… before her coma… after she'd killed the Deputy Mayor.

It had to make her think… what had happened to them… to Vance… the guy she'd seen hadn't been the guy she knew…

And the fact that for a moment… the briefest, scariest extended moments she'd wanted to join in instead of stop it… made her wonder once again if she could really do this without the support of her Sister Slayer so soon into her new beginning…

She didn't have the same kind of strength Buffy had… the darkness she had tasted was enthralling tempting… like Angelus had told her more than once… she was weak.

She'd always been weak!

Faith let out a long shaky breath before she began running down the street, her feet picking up speed. Each and every step an attempt to flee the weakness inside of her… the darkness…

***O*O*O***

Faith landed on her back and in a swift movement she pulled her legs up to her chest and planted her feet in a vampire's chest and sent the vampire flying through the air away from her.

She leapt to her feet and rushed after the vampire as he scrambled to his feet.

The vampire blocked her first punch, but wasn't lucky enough to block her second. The vampire growled as pain rocked through him from the blow, distracting him enough for Faith to land a kick to his leg sending him to a knee in the grass.

Faith hit the vampire a few more times in an attempt to work out the frustration and agitation seeing her friends harass an old man for fun…

She delivered a last punch that forced the vampire to spin on his heel before he fell to the ground. Faith pulled her stake and in a swift movement before the vampire could even begin to get back up to his feet she thrust the stake home and heard him cry out in pain, before she yanked the stake out and the vampire burst into dust around her legs and feet.

Faith's chest heaved as she breathed hard, her minds eye tormented by the images of her friends tormenting the old man… for fun… just to see his pain… so much like what she had done not so long ago…

What had happened to them all… to Vance… or was it inevitable that they too were touched by the darkness that was so much a part of her… had it spread… was this her fault to?

Had her coming back here somehow touched them with her darkness?

Faith hid her stake back amongst her clothes and turned away from the cemetery only to pause mid step as she felt eyes on her once again… the same eyes she had felt in the club… the ones she'd thought were from her old friends…

Faith gave her head a shake and frowned darkly, "I need a drink," she muttered under her breath and stalked from the cemetery with a determined stride, wariness over just who it was that she could feel watching her curling in her stomach once again.

A feeling that she couldn't shake even when she was trying to convince herself that she was just being paranoid… who'd want to watch her?

Faith glanced suspiciously out at the night that was beginning to grow old, half expecting to see one of the many people she'd hurt in her downward spiral stalking her to take a well-deserved slice of revenge for the pain she'd caused them.

She came up empty however, the cemetery as empty as when she had first made her way into it looking to beat out some of her emotional torment on the local nightlife… that was fairly decent in her home town… although nothing compared to the numbers found in Sunnydale.

Faith shook her head and continued on her way, her swift steps carrying her out of the cemetery. She had to be quick if she wanted to beat lock out at the club.

***O*O*O***

Faith trailed off the dance floor, having been unable to settle into the rhythm of the driving beat that was pumping through the club.

She could still feel those eyes on her watching her… following her every move. She'd tried losing them on the way over to the club, but somehow they'd found her again… sapping what little joy she had been trying to find in herself on the dance floor…

To find even a moment of peace within herself… a task that was proving difficult to accomplish, especially with those eyes…

Faith stepped completely off the dance floor, her gaze searching the muggy club for the owner of the eyes.

They were much closer than before… so they had to be in the club… somewhere… the only thing was where… her pesky stalker was frustratingly good at hiding… amongst the many other club goers.

She manoeuvred her way through them, her eyes searching, whilst she tried to look natural about it and not like she was nervous… agitated by the eyes that she could feel on her.

She manoeuvred around a support beam her gaze still searching when she almost walked into a strange little man in a top hate and jacket.

With one look she knew that he didn't belong in a club, he stood out like a sore thumb amongst the others that were dressed appropriately for the club scene and she frowned at him, recognising that he was the man behind the eyes that had been stalking her.

"Well, it's a good thing that you're a creature of habit, or I might have had a harder time tracking you down," he said.

Faith pursed her lips together as she regarded the strange man for a moment longer before grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him up against the support beam she had just walked by.

"I don't like being stalked. So you better start explaining yourself before I stop being so nice about it," she growled.

The man held up his hands in surrender, "Whoa, whoa, relax,"

"Relax?!" Faith said incredulously, "I'll relax when you've explained why you're stalking me… and it better be a damn good one," she said a vague threat in her voice as she stared unblinkingly at the strange little man before her.

"I'm not stalking. I was trying to pick an appropriate time to approach you. Which with your temperament, by the way, isn't easy to do. I'm Whistler an agent for The Powers,"

Faith shifted slightly out of the strange man's personal space, but still had him securely pressed against the wall, her expression still guarded but more distrustful then angry, "The Powers?"

"The Powers That Be… look do you mind?" Whistler asked with a gesture to the hands that were pinning him to the beam, "I talk better when I'm not being threatened,"

Faith hesitated a moment longer before releasing her hold on him and stepping back a step, "What would the PTB want with me. I'm not exactly their poster child. And how do I even know that you're actually an agent of The Powers?" she questioned, her distrust of him and his motives clear to see.

_Why am I always given the difficult tasks?_

Whistler thought a little dryly as he regarded the distrust in The Rogue Slayer's face, "You're obviously not going to believe a word I tell you, but maybe you'll believe Buffy,"

Faith's distrustful expression shifted slightly as she regarded the man before her with a slight difference, "You know Buffy?"

"We've met once… had to give her some tough advice that she needed to hear," Whistler responded with a shrug.

***O*O*O***

A block and a half away from the club, Faith slid a few coins that Whistler had given to her to make the call into the slot of a payphone and dialled in a number she read from a small piece of paper and listened to it ring with baited breath… after her dreams… as non-logical as it was… she feared the reception she would get.

After an extended moment the familiar voice filled her ear.

"Can you hang on a moment? I'm kind of busy," Buffy's voice enquired.

"Sure," Faith replied and waited as the sounds of a fight reached her through the phone. It was only for a brief moment as Buffy was back on the line.

"What's up? Has something happened?"

Faith breathed out a sigh that was suspiciously like relief at hearing a friendly tenor in the blond's voice, "Everything's… five by five," she said slowly as she glanced over at Whistler who was standing a little ways away waiting patiently for her to finish her phone call, "I actually need to ask you about someone… a supposed agent of The Powers… says he knows you… goes by the name of Whistler,"

Faith heard Buffy suck in a sharp breath, and felt a tremor run through her as she heard the darker, deeper voice of Angelus come through the phone as he talked to Buffy, "Kinda short, top hat, smug expression, large funny ears that kind of protrude from his head?"

Faith smirked slightly, "Yeah, that's him,"

"Damn, he hadn't changed at all in two years. But yeah that's Whistler," Buffy assured.

Faith shot a glance back at Whistler again, "So, he's on the up and up?"

"About working for The Powers yeah," Buffy replied, "What does he want with you?"

Faith frowned at Whistler, before turning away from him completely, "I don't know but I guess I'll find out soon enough," she muttered and heard a deep, dark voice that sent a tremor of fear through her, recognising the murmur as Angelus', "It sounds like your busy," Faith said her throat tight making her voice sound strange in her ears.

"Oh no, Angelus is just being impatient – just be patient we'll get home when we get home," Faith heard her say in a low murmur to the demon that Faith could imagine standing beside her, "Sorry about that, he's a little impatient tonight,"

"How can you expect me to be patient when you've been patrolling in that tight little mini skirt?" Faith heard Angelus murmur, his voice close to the phone and heard Buffy suck in a breath again, this one laced with sexual tension and she could practically see Angelus touching her tempting the blond off the phone.

Faith hung up, perhaps she should have said bye, but hearing Angelus voice… it had left her insides tied up in knots and not in a good way…

Faith stepped out of the booth and stepped towards the agent of The Powers, her expression still wary as she watched him, a part of her still expecting a trap to snap shut about her despite Buffy's assurances that Whistler was really an agent of The Powers.

"Alright, so what do The Powers want with little old me?" she asked, her arms crossed over her chest defensively, but she managed to make it look more arrogant and cocksure in an effort to appear fine… to appear in control of her body and mind… in control of the darkness inside of her.

"The Powers want to assist you," Whistler replied to her question.

"Assist me? Why would The Powers want to do anything other than throw me into the deepest pit they can find and seal it with concrete?"

Whistler shook his head and gestured that they should talk and walk, "The Powers aren't interested in exacting retribution for your misdeeds,"

Faith made a disbelieving sound, "Misdeeds, you make it sound all so trivial," she muttered as she uncrossed her arms from her chest and rubbed a hand up and down her right arm, a sudden chill inside of her making goose bumps rise up over her skin.

Whistler shrugged, "A few deaths is nothing in the big picture for The Powers," he said honestly.

Faith frowned her hands clenching into fists at her sides. His words making a shudder run through her.

"Their main concern is the fight against evil and with Angelus in play they've had a huge blow to the cause. Angel was supposed to be a big shot… but The Powers as powerful as they are… they didn't foresee the consequences of the ensouled vampire falling in love with The Slayer. Angel was supposed to play a big part in the fight against the forces of darkness, do great things. Granted Angelus' interest in Buffy has prevented the massacres and the many atrocities the dark demon has committed in the past, but The Powers still feel the loss of the vampire that was supposed to be a Champion,"

"So what? The Powers want me to take his place… do what he was supposed to?" Faith asked with a raised brow.

Whistler shook his head, "No, they've already got someone to fill that slot," he said a little dismissively, "You're at an important crossroad Faith and The Powers have a vested interest in the path you choose to take,"

Faith chuckled dryly, "They must be really scrapping the bottom of the barrel then," she muttered.

"No, The Powers are hoping to regain a Champion they thought lost to them,"

***O*O*O***

Over an hour later Faith crouched under a bridge, her back touched the stone of the foundation of the bridge.

She was a little cold, but it wasn't enough to make her want to go back to the house she'd grew up in. She'd toughed out colder nights and harsher circumstances.

Her eyes were itchy with tiredness, but she didn't want to give into the need to sleep. She didn't want to dream.

She didn't want to be haunted by every horrible thing that she'd done, nor by the image of her friends tormenting the old man. She had a funny feeling that one would be playing a feature role in her next dream.

The way it was playing over and over in her head, almost like she was frozen in that moment just before she'd stepped in and put a stop to it.

Then there was the angry look on V's face as he'd glared with angry hatred. It wasn't something she'd ever seen in them before.

Faith felt something crawl up her leg and looked down to see a spider making its way up. For a brief moment she had an image of the spiders that had come from the box of Gavrock and then it was a normal spider again.

She picked it up and set it on the ground and for a brief moment she watched it scuttle away across the dirt and grass, before she turned her attention away from it.

Her gaze focused on the water that was mostly calm aside from the gentle rippling of the water as a slight breeze disturbed the surface.

Faith sighed out a long breath, coming back here… she didn't really know what she had been expecting… but it hadn't been this.

She hadn't thought to see the crew she'd run with, consider more like a family then her blood one, tormenting an old man for fun.

Faith brushed her hair back from her face as the breeze changed blowing the long brown strands across her face.

Her brown gaze haunted as she continued to stare out over the water. She didn't know how Buffy did it. Stay so close to the darkness that was Angelus… practically be wrapped up in the dark demons blackness and not be touched by it.

To be completely fine, untouched by Angelus' darkness. It was frightening to her. Especially when she'd been… so easily touched by it.

The few small brushes with Angelus' darkness she'd had terrified her. She could still remember with absolute clarity the feeling of being at his mercy… of seeing a small peek at the depth of the darkness that resided inside the vampire that Buffy had in her bed…

Faith squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Just how strong was her sister Slayer… and just how weak was she in comparison that she couldn't even handle the smallest brush of that darkness without being dragged under and taken over by it.

Granted she'd already been taken by the darkness when she'd had her first real brush with Angelus' darkness… but still… Angelus darkness…

Faith shuddered in fear, even just hearing the low murmur of his from across the phone, had had her flinching and her hands trembling with memories of that darkness. With memories of his dark voice twisting inside of her… driving her deeper… feeding the darkness…

Faith snapped her eyes open and pulled her hands from her hair and punched a hand into the dirt leaving a visible impression in the dirt.

She fell back onto her ass, sliding down the foundation of the bridge. She felt the sharp prick of tears pressing against the back of her eyes, but they were too stubborn to fall.

The wind blew again and she closed her eyes, giving into the tired itch for the briefest moment.

***O*O*O***

Faith frowned and let out a little groan as her nightmare shifted from one thing to the next and suddenly she was in an alley she hadn't stepped foot in in years.

_The old man she had saved was shoved to the ground. She could hear his whimpers and cries of pain. His voice pleading much like he had before._

_Only for the fists and feet to hit harder. The crowing of loud gleeful voice ringing in the air._

_In the next moment she wasn't seeing the old man she was staring up at V the expression on his face scaring her. _

_The anger, hatred and intense joy on his face disturbing the brunette, especially when he drove a knife through the old man's chest…_

_The dream shifted and the next thing she saw was a pair of leather clad arms reaching down to the body of the old man… inspecting the wound, before they grabbed the man's arms and began dragging him along the ground…_

Faith jerked awake with a cry and crawled over the ground before throwing up stomach acid. Her stomach churning sickeningly.

Faith wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand and let out a shaky breath, "I knew sleeping was a bad idea," she muttered.

Her dreams having been plagued just like she knew they would be. She felt clammy and a little shaky. Her nightmares were everything she'd feared they'd be and worse.

Faith clambered to her feet and moved away from the smell of her vomit and took a moment to wipe dirt from her clothes.

She glanced up as the first rays of dawns light hit the water and she sighed the hooks of her nightmare slowly leaving her with the warmth of the sun.

She turned and with unhurried steps made her way up the slope towards the street.

_Damn I feel like crap._

She thought as her stomach gave a loud grumble making her remember that she hadn't eaten since she'd left Sunnydale.

***O*O*O***

Hours later Faith wandered about her home town a little aimlessly, but avoiding the alley that despite not having set foot in for over a year. She recognised.

She didn't want to see if her dream was true… she didn't want to see the evidence as large as life in the harsh light of day.

Somehow though, her feet seemed to always wander her close to the alley and she had to make a conscious effort to steer herself away.

Her stomach rumbled louder and she grimaced at the feeling of her empty stomach that was roaring for food.

It wasn't a feeling that she was unfamiliar with. When she was younger… before she'd managed to meet V… there had been many days that she had gone hungry.

Her mom nor her dad could be bothered with much more than alcohol… which would mean that the cupboards would be bare until…

Faith jerked herself from that train of thought and swiftly turned her feet away from the direction of that alley once again.

Faith crossed her arms over her chest. She was still reeling from the unexpected meeting with Whistler the badly dressed agent from The Powers. That was loaded full of cryptic that he refused to decode for her.

Refused to elaborate much more on what The Powers wanted from her then what he had, before he'd walked off to leave her to think about what he'd told her.

The problem was he hadn't told her much of anything.

She was at a crossroads… that was a no brainer. She didn't need some cryptic agent of The Powers to tell her that.

Faith came to a stop as she realized what street she was one exactly and what house she was nearing.

_Damn it!_

Faith silently cursed as she regarded the mailbox of her family home.

After a long moment she reluctantly stepped towards it, only to come to a stop once again as she reached the front gate.

Her expression conflicted as she regarded the house. She didn't want to enter the house… she'd prefer to just walk away… but…

Her stomach grumbled loudly once again and she sighed as she reached out a reluctant hand and unlatched the rusty gate that swung open with a long slow creak.

She was hungry… and unless she wanted to steal something and risk drawing attention to herself… and back sliding before she even knew what she was supposed to be doing now…

Her best bet was to step inside the place she'd never wanted to step inside again. Faith sighed out a long breath as she slowly stepped foot inside the overgrown front yard.

With slow reluctant steps she wandered up the path. Her feet crunching over the dead weeds and live one that were growing up, around and through the pavement.

_Ah well._

She thought as she walked up the couple of steps to the front door.

_What's a trip to the old haunting grounds without a trip to the homestead? _

She thought with bitterness. She hesitated a moment longer before she knocked on the door expecting to hear her mother curse about door knockers and no one bothering to read the 'No door knockers' sign.

But her knock was met with nothing but silence. Faith frowned, a little confused. Her mother was predictable. She never went out since she'd lost all her friends to the bottle. She only ever left to stock up on alcohol and it wasn't her payday.

Faith shrugged it off. If her mother wasn't home that was even better. She could be in and out and not have to put up with the drunk old bat.

Faith bent and lifted up a corner of the matt and shook her head as it revealed the spare key.

_Everything really is the same in this hell hole._

She picked up the key and straightened and let herself in the stale smell of alcohol hit her the moment she opened the door. The smell made her hesitate in the doorway for a moment longer before she forced herself to step inside.

She wasn't really sure that pilfering food was worth taking this trip down memory lane…

None of the memories she had inside of the walls of this place where pleasant. Not a single one… Faith took a deep breath and had to cough as the reek of stale alcohol disagreed with her lungs after so long of living without it.

She glanced around the entryway of the house and scrunched her nose at the mould that was growing on the walls.

_Perhaps starving would be better after all._

She cautiously stepped further into the house. Her gaze falling to the sofa chair that was situated in front of the TV that was switched off.

Despite no one answering the door she was still surprised to see it empty. Her mother loved that chair. She would only move from it if she had to, and most of the time she found any reason not to.

Faith glanced away from the sofa and walked through the house, not bothering to check the cupboards or the fridge for food. She very much doubted with the state of decay the house had fallen into that any food she'd find if any would be edible.

_I guess Mrs Kay stopped coming around._

She walked forced open a door that hadn't been opened for so long that she needed to force it open.

Faith took a grateful breath of the fresher air. She always hated the stench of stale alcohol. Her gaze took in the backyard that was just as overgrown and un-kept as the front.

She turned her attention to the garage and out of hopeful curiosity she stepped towards it. She threw open the garage door and sucked in a surprised breath as she took in the surprising sight of her father's 1970's Dodge Charger.

She'd almost been certain that her mother would have sold it to get more booze by now. And yet it was still sitting there gathering dust.

It was the only thing her father had been unwilling to sell when he had been alive… maybe… maybe her mother was a touch more sentimental then she'd ever given her credit for.

Faith stepped towards the car and almost reverently caressed her hands over the hood. With the many things she'd hated about having to live in this house.

This car was the one thing… the one thing she used to fantasize about. She used to fantasize about driving somewhere anywhere else… anywhere else had to be better than here. In the house that had no love except for the bottle… and had no time for her…

She'd been nothing more than an object to them… someone that they'd often said was a mistake to have. That she cost too much money to feed…

Faith shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut for a long moment, shutting out the memories. She didn't want to think about them.

With slightly shaky hands she opened the hood of the car and tinkered a little with the engine, making sure that everything was still in shape, despite the lack of use.

From what she could tell it looked fine for the most part…

Faith shook her head at herself as she lowered the hood. It was nice that the car had survived, but it meant little.

She had no money she couldn't afford to get what she needed to get the car out on the road. She exited the garage and made her way back to the house.

Faith stepped inside the house and pulled the old stubborn sliding door behind her. She headed for the front door determined to leave, but she stopped half way.

She couldn't really say why, maybe it was curiosity or maybe in some instinctual or maybe even Slayer way… she couldn't leave just yet…

She had to look deeper…

Faith turned from the front door and walked back through the house a short ways before going down a hall. She walked past her old room and moved a little further down the hall passed the linen closet that was also covered in mould.

She came up to her parent's bedroom door. She pushed the door that had been left ajar wider and frowned as her eyes landed on the bed… or rather the woman that held the title of her mother as she lay entirely to still.

She stepped into the room, and slowly made her way towards the bed. Her dark gaze taking in the half empty beer bottle that was still clutched in her hand.

She didn't even have to touch her body to know that she wasn't breathing. She'd seen enough… been the cause of enough death to know what it looked like.

Her face shifted from unaffected to conflicted, her lower lip quivering… she took a deep breath, "I always knew that you would die with a beer bottle in hand," she said a small smile curling up her lips as a small flash of joy pierced her.

Her mother's fate feeling justified almost…

Faith turned and left the room and walked back down the hall. She stepped out of the hallway and paused, her nostrils flaring as she took a few quick but deep breaths, before she let out a cry of conflicted emotions, sadness, rage and happiness colliding inside of her.

She grabbed hold of a chair and threw it across the room and felt a slight sense of satisfaction as it broke into five pieces.

She grabbed another chair and threw it and watched it break as well. She kicked a table over and broke a vase that held a single dead flower before she grasped the edge of the kitchen bench and breathed hard for a moment… until she started to laugh as actual tears started to leak from her eyes and her laugh became wet with them as her breathes became even more ragged.

***O*O*O***

Faith once again wandered the streets of the town she had once called home, she'd been doing it since she'd left the house. Her hands buried deep in her pockets.

Night had fallen over an hour ago, and yet she still couldn't stop seeing the woman who had given birth to her lying on her bed, dead.

She didn't know why she cared. The woman had never done anything for her. And yet… Faith squeezed her eyes closed trying to get the image to leave her mind's eye, but to no effect… she felt… the loss.

Faith shook her head and opened her eyes again.

_Damn woman haunts me even in death. _

Faith sighed and crossed her arms over her chest and for the first time really took in where she was…

She uncrossed her arms and let out an annoyed breath at finding herself only a couple of feet from the alley that she had seen in her dream…

The one where she had dreamt of the old man dying. She hesitated for a moment, being so close to the alley now… she was torn between finding out if her dream had been prophetic or… just a dream.

She was really hoping that it was the latter… but it was a small one that she was finding hard to cling to.

The dream… had felt all too real… real enough to make her vomit upon waking.

Faith heard the terrified scream of a man coming from the alley up ahead of her. The sound had Faith bolting for the alley, her hesitation completely forgotten. She rounded the corner and saw a vampiress, dressed like a hooker attempting to feed from a guy that from the look of him appeared to be a businessman.

Without slowing her pace she came up to them and grabbed the vampire by the shoulders and pulled her off of the man. Her fisted hand connecting solidly with the vampiress' face earning an angry growl.

She ducked a wide swinging punch, before she swiped a leg under the vampiress' knocking her off her feet.

Faith pulled her stake and in a smooth movement buried it in the vampiress chest.

Faith straightened as the vampiress turned to dust and she turned to face the man that she had saved, "Are you alright?" she asked as stepped towards him.

The businessman blinked and shook his head at her, his body trembling with fear. A tremble that worsened as Faith got closer, "I don't want any trouble," he cried and shoved a hand out at her.

Faith frowned as she looked down at her hand to see him shoving a large wad of cash into her hands.

She barely had time to process that when she looked up to see him fleeing as fast as he could in the expensive suit he was wearing, his briefcase swinging.

"I didn't want your money!" Faith called after him, but the man didn't stop running, didn't even slow down.

Faith looked down at the money in her hand, before she sighed and pocketed the money. She wasn't about to turn down perfectly good money. Besides this way she could final put something in her stomach… and she needed to put something in her stomach, she was actually starting to feel queasy.

Faith's thoughts turned from food as she couldn't help but glanced down the alley now that she was in it. Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze caught sight of foot that was peeking out from around a large garbage bin. It covered in a shoe that was worn and had a large hole in the sole.

_Shit._

Faith swallowed thickly as she cautiously approached the foot. She stepped around the bin and her eyes landed on a dark blue tarp that was covering the rest of the body.

_Please don't be the old man._

She reached down slowly and curled her fingers around the edge of the tarp and lifted it away from the body. Her expression freezing as she took in the sight of the old man. His body lifeless. She squatted down by the old man and reached out a slightly shaky hand to adjust the shirt, so that she could look at the wound.

She swallowed thickly as her inspection of the wound, confirmed what her dream had shown her. She closed her eyes, the image of V's face mid thrust of the blade flashing through her mind making her shiver.

Faith pulled her hand back from the man's cold body. She felt something slick and wet on her hand and she looked down at it again. She turned it over so that she could observe her palm and swallowed thickly as she recognised it as blood.

The sight of the blood on her hand, had her shuddering as she remembered the moment she'd staked the Deputy Mayor.

The feel of it breaking through the ribcage… and into the beating heart… the immediate rush of blood as she pulled the stake out. Buffy's warning shout.

Faith's breathe quickened and her heart rate sped up. She jumped to her feet and fled from the alley as fast her legs could take her, trying to flee the memories that were tormenting her with everything that she had done wrong that had ended up with her having blood practically coating her hands.

It sickened her to remember just how much she'd revelled in it. Luxuriated in the powerful feeling it gave her. The feeling of control… something she'd never really had before… not even with her old friends… friends that were stuck spiralling into the same deep dark hole she had…

***O*O*O***

_Dirty – Disgusting – murderer!_

Those three words ran through her head over and over again as Faith stood over a sink in a public bathroom. Her hands submerged in the cold water that was rushing out of the tap.

She scrubbed her hands as hard as she could with only her hands at her disposal.

_Get off! Get off!_

Faith thought her face crumpling with distress as she desperately tried to clean the blood from her hands long after the blood had been washed completely down the sink drain.

***O*O*O***

A while later, Faith emerged back out onto the street. Her hands fidgeting with her shirt, still feeling that the evidence of her previous crimes would be plain for anyone that looked at her to see.

The blood on her hands had been washed away, but she could still feel it there… still feel the stain of her crimes all over her… especially on her hands… hands that had caused so much pain… had delighted in so much pain.

Faith hid her hands as best she could in her jeans pockets before removing them again, unable to keep them still.

She came to a stop as she clamped eyes on a hotdog vender. She thought to just move right passed it but despite not feeling it… her stomach growled once again reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a long while.

She was still reluctant to approach anyone fearful that they'd see what she'd done, but her body was right she needed to eat if she was going to keep moving and she needed to keep moving.

"What can I get you Sweetie?" the vendor asked when Faith approached his stand.

"Uh, one with the lot," Faith ordered as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the cash that the businessman had shoved at her, in fear that she was going to hurt him like the vampiress had been going to.

"Coming right up?" he said whilst he was already preparing her order.

Faith handed over the money she owed as the vendor held out her hotdog. She took her dog, her mind helpless ticking over what had happened to the old homeless man… the dream she'd had of his death… hadn't been pretty…

Faith scratched at her head with her free hand. She really hated to believe that V could do that to anyone. However with the way her friends had gone after the old man at V's suggestion… she couldn't wipe the possibility that V had encouraged them to go after the old man again after she'd left them last night…

They could have gone after him in an attempt to get back at her for the betrayal of leaving them and then turning against them…

Faith turned to leave the vendor and moved to take a bite from her hotdog. She came to a sudden stop as she was confronted with a wood cross being waved in her face.

"Stay right where you are," A stuffy British voice she recognised ordered.

Faith looked past the cross to observe the man holding it. She swept her gaze over him and was surprised to see that the stuffy penguin suit had been replaced by spanking new leather, "Wes – you do know that a cross won't do anything to me, right?"

Wesley stuttered, as he glanced down at the object in his hand and he flushed in embarrassment at realizing that he had grabbed the wrong thing in his haste to defend himself when he'd clamped eyes on The Rogue Slayer at a hotdog stand of all places.

"Oh, uh," Wesley muttered flustered, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he attempted to quickly exchange the cross for the weapon that he was supposed to have drawn. Only for his hand to fumble the small gun he was attempting to draw and it fell to the ground between them with a clatter.

Faith raised a brow amused despite herself as she observed Wesley's reaction, "Slick Wes," she commented and watched as Wesley awkwardly bent to pick up the weapon without taking his gaze off her.

Wesley's flush deepened, his ears felt hot and he could feel the throb of his heartbeat in them as he straightened, his hand feeling clammy about the butt of the gun.

"You here to take me back to The Council?" Faith asked, not really sure what she should do. She didn't want to go back to The Council, from Giles had said they wouldn't be understanding… but she deserved whatever punishment they sought to slap her with.

Wesley cleared his throat trying to clear the lump of fear that had lodged in there quite painfully when he'd dropped the gun that was now safely clutched in his hand that was shaky so bad that the weapon was visibly trembling, "Uh, as a matter of fact no. After the events in Sunnydale I uh, I decided that I would do more good on my own then working for The Council. I'm now a rogue demon hunter,"

Faith's brow furrowed slightly, before an understanding gleam entered her eyes, "You were fired," she stated bluntly.

"Uh… well… uh… yes," Wesley admitted.

Faith glanced away guilt hitting her again, knowing that it was more than likely her defection to the dark side during his reign as Watcher of both her and Buffy was the cause of his loss of job. Faith shifted her feet slightly and observed how the gun twitched as if Wesley was preparing himself for an assault, "So if you're not here to take me back to face The Council's judgement… why are you here?" she asked as she eyed the gun that was still being pointed at her.

"Well, I heard that you had woken up and wanted to ensure that you didn't harm anyone else," Wesley muttered, his flush deepening as he remembered the hardly impressive display of him dropping his gun in his haste to remove it from his inside coat pocket.

"Didn't you hear? I'm walking the straight and narrow now," Faith informed him as she continued to eye the gun, a little worried about how anxious the ex-Watcher was as he pointed the barrel at her.

"Oh, and I suppose you just expect me to believe you?" Wesley said with sarcastic suspicion.

Faith's brow furrowed, "Wait, didn't you hear that I was awake from Buffy and her little Scooby Gang?"

"No, I have other contacts – reliable contacts that informed me of your recent return to consciousness," Wesley said, his tone clipped as he continued to eye Faith suspiciously.

Faith moved quickly, her hand closing around the gun and in a swift, easy move she disarmed Wesley, who's face went pale with terror as she pointed the deadly weapon at him, "If I wasn't, you'd be dead half a dozen times by now," she stated flatly, before she twirled the gun around so that the butt was facing the ex-Watcher.

The moment Wesley took the gun back from her, Faith turned her back to him and began walking away. She took another bite of her now mostly cold hotdog, noticing how the hotdog vendor was studiously ignoring them, not wanting to get involved.

Faith moved passed the vendor, the footsteps behind her letting her know that Wesley was following long before he picked up enough courage to walk beside her.

She glanced over at him to see that despite his still rather uncomfortable expression that was filled with fear and anxiety, the gun was once again hidden in the folds of his clothes.

"So, do all Rogue Demon Hunters pack heat? Or is that unique to you?" she asked.

"Oh uh, it is very handy at slowing down demons. I haven't actually come up against anything I've had to use it on yet," Wesley replied.

"Have you actually come up against any demon without screaming like a woman?" Faith asked a little amusedly.

Wesley flushed, "I'm never going to live that down am I?" he muttered.

"Probably not," Faith agreed with a smirk.

"Well for your information I have taken on a demon since becoming a Rogue Demon Hunter," he said with a touch of his old smug British air in his tone.

"Oh really, what kind?" Faith asked.

"Well actually, it turned out to be a poodle, but I trapped it quiet efficiently… the owners of the poodle where quiet vocal,"

"Yeah, you tried to skewer their poodle," Faith said with a small chortle, "How do you mistake a poodle for a demon?" she asked curiously.

"Ah, well it was rather scruffy and its bark sounded so much like the call of the…" Wesley cleared his throat self-consciously at the look Faith was giving him, "It was remarkably scruffy. The owners really should have taken it to the groomers more regularly," he excused.

Wesley cleared his throat again and gave the brunette a look, as he tried to determine how the volatile Slayer would react to the question that had been in his mind since the early hours of the night before, "I found a body last night. Old man, brutally beaten and knifed down in an alley,"

Faith glanced over at Wesley her body tensing in response to the direction of the conversation, "Why are you following me Wes?" she asked, her hands clenched at her sides in white knuckled fists.

"Uh, well… it appeared to be your handy work," Wesley got out in a rush, his hands clamming up again in nervous fear.

Faith came to a stop and turned to face Wesley, "You think I did it," she practically growled.

"Y-Yes, I do. It looked remarkably like something you would do," Wesley defended his conclusion.

Faith took a step back from the ex-Watcher, her hands trembling slightly as she remember getting in between the old man and V… her old friends, "It wasn't me," she stated before turning and continuing on down the street.

She came to a stop a moment later as she felt the ex-Watcher still following her and she whirled to face him again, "Why are you still following me?" she asked with irritation, her brown eyes flashing with her inner turmoil.

Wesley shifted awkwardly in his leather getup, "Well, if it indeed wasn't you, then I would very much like to help get to the bottom of who did," he said with an awkward confidence.

Faith gave him a look over, but she didn't really even need to think about her answer, "No, if it's who I think it is… they'd eat you alive," she said bluntly before she moved to continue once again.

Wesley swallowed thickly as he watched Faith walk away from him, "Wait, literarily or – or figuratively?"

Faith shrugged dramatically but didn't pause.

Wesley swallowed thickly, "Probably figuratively. If it were flesh eating demons they would have eaten the body," he muttered to himself…

***O*O*O***

Faith stood on a slope above an old basketball/netball courts. She looked down at the many moving bodies down there. She had known that her friends wouldn't change their stomping grounds.

These courts used to be her very favourite place to hang out with these people. There was so much freedom and no one else ever came around because these courts weren't as good as the new ones that had been put in a few years back.

Faith took a solidifying breath before she began making her way down the hill towards them, putting it off wouldn't make it go away. It would only make it worse.

And she really needed to know… and not just from a dream…

Her feet quickly ate up the distance between her and her old friends and she could tell by the way the mood in the group changed that they knew that she was here and in the next moment a form moved towards her with defiant, angry steps. A form that she recognised as V.

"After your display last night, I thought it would go without saying that you're not welcome here," Vance growled aggressively.

"V please," Lani tried only to get shushed by an aggravated wave of V's arm.

"Don't worry, I won't be staying long. I just gotta know… the old man," Faith began, her voice catching.

Vance smirked, "Oh so you found him already. I was really hoping that you would. You know, so you know that the consequences of crossing us… the family you betrayed,"

Faith swallowed thickly, her hands clenching into fists again as she remembered seeing the terror in the old man's face. In his eyes as they attacked him without mercy, "Betrayed? You killed a man, because I saved him from a senseless beating. Is that what you've become V?" she asked and saw a muscle in his jaw twitch.

"You just don't get it do you. I don't care about the old man. It was just a bit of fun – you made it something personal," Vance looked her over, "And from the look of you. You haven't completely learnt the lesson yet,"

Vance nodded and made a small gesture and a few of the newer members moved forward.

Faith regarded them all and did nothing when she saw a punch coming. Her mind consumed with guilt and pain over her own actions…

_Dirty, disgusting, murderer! _

Everything she touched seemed to go to hell. Even V who'd once been so sweet… almost as sweet as Lani…

Fists and feet rained pain down on her, but she barely noticed it enough to realize that she was making small pained sounds.

The sound of a honking horn, and high beam headlights broke through the group and the next thing Faith heard was the sound of a car door opening. She looked up to see Wesley standing by his open car door, a loaded crossbow in hand that was aimed at the group around her, that were all staring up at him in a mix of surprise and anger.

"I suggest you all back away very slowly," Wesley said firmly.

"Oh really?" Vance said with amusement, "You've only got one shot man. I'm pretty sure we can overpower you pretty quick, old man,"

Wesley spluttered, he wasn't old, "You uh, you may be right, about the crossbow," he acknowledged grudgingly, "However," he pulled out a cell phone, "I'm fairly certain that pressing three little buttons will bring the police here in less than two minutes especially when I tell them that you are carrying deadly weapons and probably some kind of vile drugs," he threatened.

"V?" One of them whispered.

Vance grudgingly gestured for them to move back, "Better not catch you around these parts again. You ain't lucky enough to get your traitorous ass saved twice," he shot at Faith before he quickly moved off with his crew.

Faith looked up at Wesley with confusion as he approached her and reached down to help her up. Faith ignored his hand and picked herself up, "What are you doing here?" she muttered as she brushed some gravel from her clothes.

"I followed you," Wesley admitted, "Here," he murmured as he attempted as much as the brunette Slayer would allow, to help her into the passenger side seat of the car.

Faith leaned the side of her head against the window of the car door and gazed out into the night solemnly. She didn't even blink when Wesley started the engine and began driving… at the moment in time she didn't even care where.

***O*O*O***

Faith stood under the shower of the hotel room that Wesley had taken her to. The hot water disguising the tears that were running down her cheeks. Her breathes where ragged with sobs that she was supressing, not wanting to be heard by anyone now that her tear ducts had finally stopped being proud.

Everything was so wrong! She didn't really know why she had wanted to come home, but it was nothing like she had imagined. Her old friends weren't supposed to be… they weren't… they… she wanted them to be the same.

They were supposed to be the same people she'd had to leave behind. She'd wanted that comfort… maybe… but… they all seemed to be infected by her darkness.

_Why couldn't some things be just as they had been?_

***O*O*O***

Wesley looked up as Faith left the bathroom, "Um… uh, are you feeling any better?" he asked with concern.

Faith flicked her gaze to Wesley, "Five by five," she muttered as she walked over to a couch and sank down in it. Her wet hair hanging loosely and un-brushed about her face.

Wesley hesitated a moment. He lowered his gaze to the floor, before clearing his throat and returning his gaze to Faith, who was seemingly staring into space, "Faith, if uh… if you don't mind me asking," he stuttered drawing Faith's gaze, "W-Why didn't you fight back?" he asked.

Faith lowered her gaze to her hands that were resting on her lap and was silent for a long moment. So long that Wesley believed that she wasn't going to answer, "I uh, I don't want to touch that darkness again… I'm not sure that I could come back a second time," she murmured.

_I'm weak._

Wesley remained silent for a long moment, really seeing the change in the woman before him now. He cleared his throat, "Well uh, you can stay here tonight if you like. I can sleep on the couch,"

Faith didn't reply, but Wesley took her silence as acceptance and moved about to get the couch made into a makeshift bed.

***O*O*O***

Vance moved through the night, a few members of his crew with him as he scoped the night. He smirked as his gaze landed on the car of the stuffy Brit that had intruded on private business that he had no business intruding on.

"Check it out," he said with amusement and his friends chuckled, "Let's get to work," he ordered and they all moved towards the car with purpose.

***O*O*O***

The next morning Faith made her way out of the hotel that Wesley had booked a room in. she walked down the steps and on to the paved path. She moved to just walk away completely when she saw Wesley standing in the car park his hands gripping his head in obvious distress.

Faith momentarily puffed out her cheeks, before blowing out a sighing breath and with slight reluctance moved into the hotel parking lot.

Wesley heard her approach and turned to face her, "It's gone!" he said panicked.

Faith frowned and glanced around the parking lot, "Your car?"

"Yes my car!" Wesley exclaimed, "I parked it here last night, locked it and then helped up into the hotel room. I know I did. And now it's gone… vanished into thin air,"

Faith sighed, "It didn't vanish into thin air," she muttered, "It got stolen,"

"B-But I locked it," Wesley whined.

"Locks don't keep everyone out," Faith responded, "But I have an idea of where it'll be," she muttered.

Wesley gave her a shocked look, "Are you saying that those cretins from those courts did this?"

"Those cretins are my friends," Faith shot back, before taking a breath, "You'll need to call a cab. It's too far to walk," she stated and walked back towards the street.

Wesley trailed behind her, already pulling out his cell phone whilst he muttered about young disrespectful punks.

***O*O*O***

Faith walked with purpose across the scrapyard, Wesley doing his best to keep up, whilst he tried to adjust his leather pants that were really beginning to chaff around his thighs and groin.

Faith caught sight of a man that appeared to be an employee of the scrapyard, "Oi, you! Yeah that's right I'm talking to you. Have any new cars been brought to the heap?" she asked.

"Can't help you sweetie," the man said dismissively.

Faith let out a slightly angry, impatient sound and she grabbed him and slammed him up against a pile up of crushed cars, "Well you see slick. That isn't going to fly, because you see I'm no sweetie, I know all about your side business and how you take a cut to hide stripped and stolen cars. So , you're going to tell me if there's been a new car brought in… and you know exactly the type I'm talking about,"

Faith fisted her hands in the lapels of his shirt and pulled him up onto his toes, "So you better start talking before my friends here calls the cops and I show him all the black little secrets you've got hidden around here and trust me, I lived here long enough to know all of them,"

"A-A new car was brought in early hours this morning. I told them to put it in the southern part of the yard,"

"See that wasn't so hard, was it," Faith grumbled as she let him go, before she turned back to Wes, "The southern part of this dump is this way," she said as she began walking.

Wesley let out a small whimper as he hurried after Faith, the leather rubbing painfully against the chaffing.

He caught up to Faith a few moments later when she stopped walking. He came up beside her and followed her line of sight and another whimper escaped him at seeing the pitiful state of his car… or rather what remained of it… which was basically just the frame… not even the doors or the glass remained.

"My-My car… look what they've done to my car," Wesley whimpered, his voice pained.

Faith clapped him on the shoulder a little harder than she intended, making him groan a little in pain, "Sorry Wes. Some of the guys that did this, have been doing it since they were ten,"

"Well, I'm going to call the police," Wesley muttered, "Get those little vandals to pay,"

Faith shook her head, "Don't bother. The cops won't be able to do anything without proof and no one is going to talk. The most that'll happen is maybe some of V's crew gets questioned and then thrown back out on the street,"

"Yes, but my car," Wesley spluttered as he trailed after Faith.

Faith shrugged, "It's a car, Wes. Easily replaced,"

***O*O*O***

Faith got out of the cab and immediately began down the street without looking back at Wesley as he paid the driver and stepped out after her.

"Faith, wait," Wesley called as he hurried after her.

Faith stopped and turned back to face him with an obvious attitude, her expression slightly annoyed.

"Uh, What are you planning on doing now?" he asked with a hopeful curiosity. He'd let down the brunette Slayer before with his black and white view of the world. The Council was always right. Had been his mantra. There had been no other way for him back then…

He'd been so determined to prove that he was worthy of his family name that he'd been detrimental to his duty and had driven one Slayer to evil and the other to quit The Council entirely, leaving them Slayer-less for the first time since The Slayer had been created.

"What do you want from me? What are you trying to achieve by following me around by a lost puppy, Wes?

Wesley remained silent, completely stupefied by the question. He didn't know what he wanted… just that there was a well of guilt inside of him over his mishandling of The Slayer before him.

Faith gave Wesley a last look, before she turned and continued on her way, quickly disappearing from the ex-Watcher's sight as he continued to stand still just watching her with that silly expression on his face.

***O*O*O***

Hours later after night had fallen once again Faith sat at the bar of her favourite club at her home town; that no longer felt even remotely homey. Her hand was curled around a half drunk beer bottle.

She didn't need to look beside her to know who it was that took the open bar stool beside, but his voice confirmed it when he spoke to her a moment later.

"Making a choice is never easy, especially when that choice involves friends," Whistler said, before he signalled the bar tender and ordered a single malt whiskey.

"What would you know about that?" Faith asked, a little derisively.

"Becoming an agent of The Powers doesn't win you any popularity contests for one, but mostly I see it every day, with different Champions. I was there when Buffy had to make the choice of the world or Angel. I gave her some inspirational words and sent her off to kill him… I don't think she'll ever forgive me for that… one of the reasons why I haven't seen her since. That and Angelus may just wear my ribcage as a hat for setting Angel on the path of Champion of The Powers," Whistler divulged just before the bar tender put his drink down in front of him and he hadn't over a couple of green bills.

Faith took a gulp of her beer, "Is that what you're doing then? Giving me an inspirational pep talk to send me on my way down the path of a champion of The Powers?" Faith shook her head, "I'm no Champion. I'm a screw up child of a couple of alcoholics," she muttered and took another drink.

"True, but you have potential. You wouldn't have been chosen if you didn't," Whistler assured her.

Faith remained silent for a long moment, not sure if she really believed that she had what it took to be what The Powers wanted. Most days it felt like she barely had the strength to hold on to who she was, "Choices huh?" she finally broke the silence.

"It's all about choices. One might be to get out of this town, like Sunnydale. It's got baggage a metre wide," Whistler suggested, before he finished his drink and slid off the stool and walked out, his job for The Powers in this particular area done. It was time to move onto the next.

Faith finished her beer far slower then she normally would. So slow that the beer actually got warm. She finished the beer and got up, the conflicted expression still on her face as she walked out of the club.

A short while later Faith found herself looking out over her old friend's favourite haunting grounds. She watched them as they did the same old stupid shit that they were doing back when she rolled with them.

She'd thought that maybe this was home, that she'd find her niche in the place she'd grew up. In the place her first Watcher had died, but it had become clear that this wasn't her home anymore.

Whistler was right, there was a truck load of her baggage here waiting for her to slip and fall and not pick herself back up again.

***O*O*O***

The next day, Faith stood in her old room at her mother's house again, doing her best to ignore the fact that her mother was rotting in the room a couple of doors down as she threw clothes that she'd left behind when she'd first left into a duffel bag that she'd bought earlier along with a can of petrol and oil with the money the business man had thrown at her a couple of night ago.

She did up the duffel bag and threw it over her shoulder before picking up the can of petrol and the bottle of oil as she made her way out of the house and into the garage.

A few short minutes later she was bent over the open hood of the car as she refreshed the oil having already filled the petrol tank in her dad's old car.

She was distracted a moment later when there was a knock on the door and she looked up to see Wesley standing in the open doorway of the garage looking awkward a couple of bags in his hands.

Faith wiped her hands and straightened up as she turned to face him, "What are you doing here Wes?" she demanded to know, "And how did you even find me?" she asked with a frown.

Wesley shrugged a little self-consciously, "The Council was well aware of her home address long before you were ever Called as The Slayer,"

Faith turned away from him and muttered something about an organisation of stalkers.

Wesley stepped a little further into the room, his expression awkward, "Well, I'd very much like a chance to make up for my grievous mishandling of you in my own blind ambition and desire of adulation from The Council which lead to my putting my own needs ahead of yours and as a Watcher that is unforgivable my duty was to you and I mishandled that duty…"

"Cut to the point Wes," Faith cut in with impatience, feeling uncomfortable with the topic of conversation as she picked up her duffel bag and walked towards her fathers old car once again.

"Uh right, I'd very much like to help you with this new path of yours… to uh, make up for my previous mistakes… I, uh of course if you'd have me that is," Wesley said awkwardly, his hope obvious for Faith to see.

Faith tossed her duffel bag into the back seat along with the half empty can of petrol, before she got into the drivers seat. She closed the drivers door and looked over at Wes, "What you expect me to be your maid or something? You're bags aren't going to move themselves and I'm not waiting on you all day English,"

Wesley smiled gratefully and swiftly moved to throw his bags in the back, before he quickly scrambled into the passenger seat.

The moment Wesley closed the passenger side door Faith turned the key in the engine, her upper front teeth imbedded in her lower lip as she waited for the engine to roll to life. When it did she let out an exclamation of excitement before she pulled out of the garage and onto the road.

When they'd gotten a little ways down the street, Faith turned her attention to Wesley for a moment, "Can I borrow your cell?" she asked.

Wesley hesitated a brief moment before he nodded and reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell and handed it to her.

Faith dialled 911 into the keypad of the phone and placed it to her ear, "Yes, I'd like to call in a death…"

Wesley remained completely silent as he listened to Faith talk to the 911 operator before she hung up and he had to fumble to catch the phone as she tossed it back to him.

Wesley cleared his throat as he put his cell phone away, "So, where are we going?" he asked breaking the silence, sensing that the brunette Slayer didn't want to talk about it.

Faith shrugged her gaze focused on the road as she drove them out of town, "I don't know… somewhere that's not here," she stated as she put her foot down a little harder on the accelerator wanting to leave Boston Massachusetts behind for a good long while.


End file.
